Reflections on fostering student nurse evidence-based practice competencies via integration of nursing best practice guidelines

Abstract

Evidence-based nursing practice has been identified as an important nurse competency and standard of practice by nurse regulators and nurse educators in both the United States and Canada, yet little is known about the curricular strategies which foster development of evidence-based competencies in the undergraduate nursing context. Although there are several evidence-based practice models that are being used by nurses, much of the literature reflects evidence-based practice implementation strategies which are focused on nurses already in practice. It remains unclear how evidence-based practice competencies are being taught to undergraduate nursing students. In the Canadian context, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, promotes the implementation of Nursing Best Practice Guidelines as a viable strategy for implementing evidence-base nursing practice in both the clinical and academic contexts. Clinical and academic institutions that implement best practice guidelines and meet the outcome criteria of the Registered Nurses Association may be designated as a Best Practice Spotlight Organization. In this paper, two of the authors reflect on the curricular strategies they used to integrate Best Practice Guidelines into selected undergraduate nursing courses and the challenges and opportunities that this engendered as part of their university school of nursing’s journey to achieve designation as a Best Practice Spotlight Organization (Academic).